This document provides information on how to utilize a public history degree, including details on Dr. Ware Petznick's education and career path. It outlines her internships at various museums, the importance of publishing and networking, and her job duties in various history-focused roles involving exhibits, education programs, collections management, and more. It also addresses finance, hiring practices, and taking advantage of opportunities to gain experience in order to advance one's public history career.

1. PUTTING YOUR DEGREE IN PUBLIC
HISTORY TO WORK
Kent State University
October 26, 2016
Dr Ware Petznick

2. A Case Study
• Education
• Internships
• Publications & Networking
• Job Descriptions & Duties
• OTHER Job Duties
• Finance
• Hiring

3. phd
University of St Andrews, Scotland
“The Wright Incorporation of Perth 1700-1840”
A two-volume, 220K-word thesis on the business practices of
Scottish furniture makers, includes a biographical dictionary
furniture history/art history, 2000
mphil
University of St Andrews, Scotland
45K word thesis, transferred to PhD in January 1997
mlitt with honours
University of Glasgow, Scotland
“The Whistlers’ Silver Collection and their Distinctive Collector’s
Mark”, Professor Margaret Macdonald.
120K word thesis with illustrated catalogue
decorative arts & design history, Dec 2009
ba
Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
art history, 1993 education
The Perth Wrights’ Minute Book
James Reoch, Perth Wright
Charles Oswald, Jr. Perth Wright

4. Education
• Goldman Sachs 10000 Small Businesses
• Museum & Gallery Studies
• Many Courses Lead to Jobs
• Conferences

5. Internships
• Nature of them – all unpaid
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Museum of Fine Arts Boston
• Colonial Williamsburg
• National Trust for Scotland, US &
UK
• Pollok House
• Essential –
• focus on completing a project
• Take advantage of opportunities

6. Internships
Pollok House

7. Internships
• Pollok House
• Designed new signage and
created a catalogue for the
Silver Corridor according to
NTS BRAND GUIDELINES

8. Publications & Networking
• Landing that first job
• CAA
• Other Conferences

9. Job Descriptions & Duties
• Curator – Large AAM site
• Curator/Director of Education & Administration
• Collections
• Education
• Administration

10. themes
responsible for setting annual interpretive themes
develop docent manual acc. to main themes
guide tours
extensive experience as a guide:
McFaddin-Ward House, Belle Meade Plantation,
Scotland’s Secret Bunker, Historic Rock Castle
VIPs/Convention & Visitors Bureau
brainstorming
use interpretation for education programs
often consulted to design and implement ideas
interpretation

11. exhibits
historic house exhibits
develop interpretive themes
design, install and promote exhibits
present PPT and guide docents through new
exhibits
touch baskets - amend handling collection
visitor center exhibits
quarterly exhibits from reserve collection
introduced brochures as standard procedure
supervise exhibits by guest curators or summer
interns
other exhibits
Install temporary exhibits as necessary in orientation
room to address areas off-exhibit for restoration
carriage house introduction
front porch introduction

12. docent & volunteer training
exhibit lectures
guide docents through new exhibits after PPT
interpreter’s manual
edit and revise
lectures and workshops
material culture, built environment, society &
culture,
an introduction to the collection, etc.
volunteer recruitment & stewardship
recruit and train volunteers
diary transcriptions, spring cleaning, special projects
Silver
An Overview of the
McFaddin-Ward House
Collection

13. doctorate in furniture history
accustomed to giving meaning to unusual topics
connections between Scottish (European) and American interiors
conservation and restoration
1906 billiard table with Joe Newell
most furniture for third floor of McFaddin-Ward House
experience with :
woodwork, oil, paint, varnish, shellac finishes
marquetry (wood, shell, brass, ivory, silver)
upholstery (fiber and leather)
lecture and workshops
material culture, social history, built environment, silver, etc.
time frames
1895-1950 McFaddin-Ward House’s period
1700-1840 focus of most museum work, including PhD
pre 1600 graduate courses and continued interest in mediaeval
architecture, manuscripts and metalwork
furniture &
decorative arts

14. OTHER Job Duties
● Graphic Design & Marketing
● Fundraising
● Emergency preparedness
● Disaster recovery
● Party planner
● Archaeologist
● Copyright law
● Preservationist
● Web designer
● Interns
● Volunteers
● Security
● Conference Planning
● Conservation
● Computer Tech
● Handyman – painter
● Gardener

15. secured funding for paid internships
had been eliminated from dept. budget by 2005
design program & implement
distribute announcement internationally
train interns broadly but focus on project to which they
show an aptitude
collections care, handling & storage – including archives
security & emergency preparedness
exhibit development and installation in Visitor Center
public speaking & promotion
PastPerfect 4.0 and cataloguing
expose them to education programs for all ages
train for advanced technologies
supervise & advise
set tasks for interns and guide timetable
serve as an advisor for future studies/employment
interns

16. target general audiences
ABCs of McFaddin-Ward House Furniture
At Table, series on linens, crystal &table settings
(also set programs for Boston Center for Adult Education
& National Trust for Scotland at the British Consulate)
focus on children
Afternoon Pastimes including programs on etiquette,
stained glass
Summer Camp Ages 6-12, most recently on chair history
for “Musical Chairs”
public
programming

17. project management
furnishing plan THIRD FLOOR RESTORATION
created historic recreation without period photographs
oral interviews, period artifacts in storage, family history,
condition and architecture
masculine themes – expand audience
contractors
scheduled, hired & informed of museum requirements
interpretation
developed interpretation & wrote room studies for manual
designed touch baskets
budget total spent less than 10% of restoration costs of other
floors
publicity & promotion television interviews, designed poster of
swinger clock, newsletter, designed PPT slideshows for opening
conservation (most furnishings conserved in-house)
billiard room balcony 2005
billiard room balcony 2006
billiard room carpet selection 2005
Ansonia swinger clock discovered 2006

18. Who Else Lived Here? Conference organizer
The McFaddin-Ward House Historic House Conference
Beaumont, TX November 4-5, 2007
set conference theme, program & invited speakers
coordinated contracts, sessions
introduced keynote, presented paper & closing remarks
designed & wrote text for save the date card & theme of
invitation
[Texas Association of Museum Wilder Award (silver) for invitation ]
Jim Vaughan, Keynote Speaker
National Trust for Historic Preservation
A challenge to museums in closing
conferences

19. conservation
furniture & woodwork
recruited Volunteers for cleaning with Murphys solution
conserved billiard table base and coordinated with Joe
Newell for restoration of pockets and side rails
leather
Robert Mitchell Turkish easy chair & rocker
S. Karpen settle, bench, rocker and armchair
textiles
small objects cleaned with Orvus
solution, rinsed with distilled water
& dried on plexi glass
coordinated stabilization of trapunto bedspread

20. November 4, 2006
Newport Table conserved by
Joe Newell & Ware Petznick

21. computer programs
Vista, Windows XP o/s
MS Office 2007 and prior generations
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Adobe Photoshop
Hoboware, Realplayer and Windows Media Player, podcasting
websites
increase access with PPT programs on slideshare.net
www.mcfaddin-ward.org is in transition to self-hosting
webmaster for St Andrews Alumni clubs using free geocities.com
internet research
paper on internet research “Navigating the Waters of Research”
(on slideshare.net – mcfaddinward)
advocated use of internet at Spring Postgraduate Conference, St.
Andrews, 1995
photography
35mm and digital, digital slide conversion, develop and print
Slide from Navigating the Waters of Research
Hallmarks on silver spoons
technology

22. emergency preparedness &
disaster recovery
Hurricane Rita
largest recorded hurricane to enter Gulf of Mexico
reached Beaumont , TX, September 24, 2005
reported need for action on Sept 19, 2005
first staff member back to document damage
deaccessioned one object- a garden bench
mold remediation in house, none in storage or archives
increased preparations from collections policy
most damage to grounds & tree on carriage house
revised collections manual post hurricane
presented papers to Texas Historical Commission and
Texas Library and Archives Commission

23. lifelong learning
SeniorExpo at Civic Center
promoting museum programs
Collier Park Retirement Center
“The Robert Mitchell Book Project”
joint lectures
invited Heritage Society of Houston to join us
and discuss electric fans & cooling in SE Texas
Soup Tours
Lecture on “Trinkets and Treasures of the Silver
Corridor”, Pollok House, National Trust for
Scotland, June 2009

24. conferences
Texas Association of Museums
presenter or chair, conferences & workshops
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
disaster preparedness and recovery
Texas Historical Commission
lessons from Hurricane Rita
McFaddin-Ward House Historic House Conference
program organizer & presenting chair
Who Else Lived Here?
Stan Hwyet Symposium
Presented remotely October 2008
Ohio Museums Association Annual Conference
American Association for State and Local History

25. articles
The Whistlers’ Silver Collection: Late Victorian
Silver Storage and Display in Decorative Arts
Society Journal, no. 37, 2013;
The Journal, SHS newsletter;
Viewpoints, MWH museum newsletter;
Collection Managers Committee newsletter;
Mountain Plains Museum Association;
Decorative Arts Society newsletter;
Beaumont Journal and Beaumont Enterprise
book publication
“The Robert Mitchell Furniture Company
Catalogue No. 75 at the McFaddin-Ward House”
draft & full reprint, currently reviewed by
publisher
publications

26. In house & brochures
handling collection
amend material for each exhibit
tactile objects
period evidence
brochures
Visitor Center exhibits,
in print and online
handouts
made for most programs, on or off site
all tailored to each audience

27. public relations
in studio and on location
television, radio, newspapers, magazines

28. The McFaddin-Ward House
Third Floor Restoration
For Wellesley College Alumnae
building a
community
Why?
bringing history
back to life…

29. Preservation

30. Finance
• You will never earn as much as other
professionals with the same education &
experience. Be content with that or seek other
ways to supplement income if you need.
• Budgeting – on the job & at home
• Bonuses possible!

31. Hiring
• A good resume – well presented – no errors
• A cover letter that shows that the individual REALLY
wants the job. Shows a knowledge of the museum
and has the skills to do the job.
• Personal interview
Returned her chair to where it belonged…
Pitches in…
Follow up

32. More Questions?
Do your job well, every
day – and good things
will come.
warepetznick@gmail.com